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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a great time
  11. swing — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fine — all right
  16. staff — a stick
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — goods
  21. kick — in football
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com